Olympus E-400 vs E-P5

The Olympus E-400 and the Olympus PEN E-P5 are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively,
in September 2006 and May 2013. The E-400 is a DSLR, while the E-P5 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. Both cameras are equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. The E-400 has a resolution of 10 megapixels, whereas the E-P5 provides 15.9 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Olympus E-400 and the
Olympus PEN E-P5? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Olympus E-400 and the Olympus E-P5. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The E-P5 can be obtained in three different colors (black, silver, white), while the E-400 is
only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size,
the Olympus E-P5 is notably smaller (29 percent) than the Olympus E-400. Moreover, the E-P5 is slightly lighter (3 percent) than the E-400. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the E-400 nor the E-P5 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses
that both of these cameras require. Both cameras have similarly sized sensors, but DSLRs have a larger flange-to-focal plane distance than mirrorless cameras,
which imposes contraints on the optical engineering process and generally leads to bigger and heavier lenses.
You can compare the optics available for the two cameras in the Four Thirds Lens Catalog (E-400) and the Micro Four Thirds Lens Catalog (E-P5). Mirrorless cameras, such as the E-P5, have moreover the advantage that they can use many lenses from other systems via adapters, as they have a relatively short flange to focal plane distance.

Concerning battery life, the E-400 gets 500 shots out of its BLS-1 battery,
while the E-P5 can take 330 images on a single charge of its BLN-1 power pack.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, just click on the right or left
arrow next to the camera that you would like to inspect. Alternatively, you can also use the CAM-parator to
select your camera combination among a larger number of options.

Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The E-400 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 30 percent) than the E-P5, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a Four Thirds sensor and have a format factor
(sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras
that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.

Technology-wise, the E-P5 uses a more advanced image processing engine (TruePic VI)
than the E-400 (TruePic), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the E-P5 offers a higher
resolution of 15.9 megapixels, compared with 10 MP of the E-400.
This megapixels advantage translates into a 26 percent gain in linear resolution.
On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the E-P5 has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel
(with a pixel pitch of 3.76μm versus 4.74μm for the E-400). However, it should be noted that the E-P5 is much more recent (by 6 years and 7 months) than the E-400, and its sensor
will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that compensate for the smaller pixel size.

The Olympus E-400 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 1600.
The corresponding ISO settings for the Olympus PEN E-P5 are ISO 200 to ISO 25600, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-25600.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Sensor Characteristics

Camera Model

Sensor Class

Resolution (MP)

Horiz. Pixels

Vert. Pixels

Video Format

DXO Portrait

DXO Landscape

DXO Sports

DXO Overall

Camera Model

Olympus E-400

Four Thirds

10.0

3648

2736

none

..

..

..

..

Olympus E-400

Olympus E-P5

Four Thirds

15.9

4608

3456

1080/30p

22.8

12.4

895

72

Olympus E-P5

Nikon D40X

APS-C

10.0

3872

2592

none

22.4

11.4

516

63

Nikon D40X

Olympus PEN-F

Four Thirds

20.2

5184

3888

1080/60p

23.1

12.4

894

74

Olympus PEN-F

Olympus E-M10 II

Four Thirds

15.9

4608

3456

1080/60p

23.1

12.5

842

73

Olympus E-M10 II

Olympus E-M10

Four Thirds

15.9

4608

3456

1080/30p

22.8

12.3

884

72

Olympus E-M10

Olympus E-M1

Four Thirds

15.9

4608

3456

1080/30p

23.0

12.7

757

73

Olympus E-M1

Olympus E-P3

Four Thirds

12.2

4032

3024

1080/60i

20.8

10.1

536

51

Olympus E-P3

Olympus E-PL2

Four Thirds

12.2

4032

3024

720/30p

21.4

10.2

573

55

Olympus E-PL2

Olympus E-450

Four Thirds

10.0

3648

2736

none

21.5

10.5

512

56

Olympus E-450

Olympus E-620

Four Thirds

12.2

4032

3024

none

21.3

10.3

536

55

Olympus E-620

Olympus E-420

Four Thirds

10.0

3648

2736

none

21.5

10.4

527

56

Olympus E-420

Olympus E-410

Four Thirds

10.0

3648

2736

none

21.1

10.0

494

51

Olympus E-410

Olympus E-510

Four Thirds

10.0

3648

2736

none

21.2

10.0

442

52

Olympus E-510

Olympus E-500

Four Thirds

8.0

3264

2448

none

..

..

..

..

Olympus E-500

Panasonic GX7

Four Thirds

15.8

4592

3448

1080/60p

22.6

12.2

718

70

Panasonic GX7

Panasonic L10

Four Thirds

10.0

3648

2736

none

21.3

10.8

429

55

Panasonic L10

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The E-P5 indeed provides for movie recording, while the E-400 does not. The highest resolution format that the E-P5 can use is 1080/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. For example, the E-400 has an optical viewfinder, which can be very useful when shooting in bright sunlight.
In contrast, the E-P5 relies on live view and the rear LCD for framing. That said, the E-P5 can be equipped with an optional viewfinder – the VF-4. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Olympus E-400, the Olympus E-P5, and comparable cameras.

Core Features

Camera Model

Viewfinder (Type or '000 dots)

Control Panel (yes/no)

LCD Size (inch)

LCD Resolution ('000 dots)

LCD Attach- ment

Touch Screen (yes/no)

Mech Shutter Speed

Shutter Flaps (1/sec)

Built-in Flash (yes/no)

Built-in Image Stab

Camera Model

Olympus E-400

optical

n

2.5

215

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

n

Olympus E-400

Olympus E-P5

optional

n

3.0

1037

tilting

Y

1/8000s

9.0

Y

Y

Olympus E-P5

Nikon D40X

optical

n

2.5

230

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

n

Nikon D40X

Olympus PEN-F

2360

n

3.0

1037

swivel

Y

1/8000s

10.0

n

Y

Olympus PEN-F

Olympus E-M10 II

2360

n

3.0

1040

tilting

Y

1/4000s

8.0

Y

Y

Olympus E-M10 II

Olympus E-M10

1440

n

3.0

1037

tilting

Y

1/4000s

8.0

Y

Y

Olympus E-M10

Olympus E-M1

2360

n

3.0

1037

tilting

Y

1/8000s

10.0

n

Y

Olympus E-M1

Olympus E-P3

optional

n

3.0

614

fixed

Y

1/4000s

3.0

Y

Y

Olympus E-P3

Olympus E-PL2

optional

n

3.0

460

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

Y

Olympus E-PL2

Olympus E-450

optical

n

2.7

215

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.5

Y

n

Olympus E-450

Olympus E-620

optical

n

2.7

230

swivel

n

1/4000s

4.0

Y

Y

Olympus E-620

Olympus E-420

optical

n

2.7

215

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.5

Y

n

Olympus E-420

Olympus E-410

optical

n

2.5

215

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

n

Olympus E-410

Olympus E-510

optical

n

2.5

215

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

Y

Olympus E-510

Olympus E-500

optical

n

2.5

215

fixed

n

1/4000s

2.5

Y

n

Olympus E-500

Panasonic GX7

2760

n

3.0

1040

tilting

Y

1/8000s

5.0

Y

Y

Panasonic GX7

Panasonic L10

optical

n

2.5

207

swivel

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

n

Panasonic L10

One differentiating feature between the two cameras concerns the touch sensitivity of the rear screen. The E-P5
has a touchscreen, while the E-400 has a conventional panel. Touch control can be particularly helpful, for example,
for setting the focus point.

The Olympus E-P5 has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to
capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

The E-400 writes its imaging data to Compact Flash or xD Picture cards, while the E-P5 uses SDXC cards. The E-400 features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the E-P5
only has one slot.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Olympus E-400 and Olympus PEN E-P5 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

Camera Model

Hotshoe Port

Internal Microphone

Internal Speaker

Microphone Port

Headphone Port

HDMI Port

USB Port

WiFi Support

NFC Support

Bluetooth Support

Camera Model

Olympus E-400

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-400

Olympus E-P5

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

-

-

Olympus E-P5

Nikon D40X

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Nikon D40X

Olympus PEN-F

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

-

-

Olympus PEN-F

Olympus E-M10 II

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

-

-

Olympus E-M10 II

Olympus E-M10

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

-

-

Olympus E-M10

Olympus E-M1

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

micro

2.0

Y

-

-

Olympus E-M1

Olympus E-P3

Y

stereo

none

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-P3

Olympus E-PL2

Y

stereo

none

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-PL2

Olympus E-450

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-450

Olympus E-620

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-620

Olympus E-420

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-420

Olympus E-410

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-410

Olympus E-510

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-510

Olympus E-500

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Olympus E-500

Panasonic GX7

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

-

Panasonic GX7

Panasonic L10

Y

none

none

-

-

none

2.0

-

-

-

Panasonic L10

It is notable that the E-P5 offers wifi support, which can be a very convenient means to transfer image data
to an off-camera location. In contrast, the E-400 does not offer wifi capability.

Both the E-400 and the E-P5 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used
on eBay. The E-400 was replaced by the Olympus E-410, while the E-P5 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official Olympus website.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Is the Olympus E-400 better than the Olympus E-P5 or vice versa? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Arguments in favor of the Olympus E-400:

Easier framing: Has an optical viewfinder for image composition and settings control.

Longer lasting: Can take more shots (500 versus 330) on a single battery charge.

Greater peace of mind: Features a second card slot as a backup in case of memory card failure.

More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (30 percent cheaper at launch).

More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in September 2006).

Reasons to prefer the Olympus PEN E-P5:

More detail: Has more megapixels (15.9 vs 10MP), which boosts linear resolution by 26%.

Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (TruePic VI vs TruePic).

Broader imaging potential: Can capture not only stills but also 1080/30p video.

More compact: Is smaller (122x69mm vs 130x91mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.

Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.

More legacy lens friendly: Can use many non-native lenses via adapters.

Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.

More modern: Reflects 6 years and 7 months of technical progress since the E-400 launch.

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the E-P5 is the clear winner of the contest (15 : 5 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges
from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera
is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

E-400 05:15 E-P5

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Olympus E-400 and the Olympus E-P5 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest
Best DSLR Camera and Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the E-400 or the E-P5 perform in practice. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, and photographyblog). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge,
reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just make your choice using the following search menu. As an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.